Exploring Orvieto

Waking up early with jet lag isn’t the easiest, but we all made it to breakfast on time at 8:00 a.m. There was a variety of food in a buffet style that included bread, sliced meat, cheese, yogurt, and fruit. Afterward, we met with Dr. Flint-Ferguson and learned more about the history of Orvieto. We had some free time so we walked around the city and went to different shops. As I was purchasing a scarf, I found out how confusing it can be when you are speaking to someone and don’t understand their language. On the streets, I noticed that there are a lot of cats – some friendly enough that I could pet them.

Later, we went to the Orvieto Underground and explored caves that are under the city. People used to live and work in these caves a long time ago. There was a wine cellar and multiple pigeon holes. People would use the pigeons for meat, eat the eggs, and use the waste for fertilizer.

During our free time, a few of us went to a café and ordered some cioccolata calda. It was a lot richer than the hot chocolate that you find in the United States. We also ate authentic Italian pasta at Osteria and got gelato (ice cream) on the way back to our hotel. Tomorrow we look forward to climbing the steep hills in Assisi.